On Sunday (20 October), citizens of the microstate, which has a population of 33,000 and lies within northern Italy, were asked if they wanted to begin accession talks with the EU. Though a narrow majority of people who voted approved the measure (50.3% versus 49.7%), a referendum needs 32% of eligible voters to vote yes in order for the measure to pass. The ‘yes’ vote amounted to just 20%.

The Republic of San Marino is an independent sovereign state that has close ties to Italy, but no formal relationship with the EU. It sits within the EU customs union but is not part of the Schengen area of border-free travel. It uses the euro as its currency after striking a bilateral monetary agreement with the EU.

The referendum was not called because of an offer of EU membership but because citizens collected enough signatures to force a vote on the issue.

Last year, the European Commission issued a report on San Marino, Andorra and Monaco in which it discouraged the microstates from seeking to join the EU as full members, recommending instead a multilateral framework association agreement or having them join the European Economic Area (EEA).

However, the ‘Yes’ campaign in San Marino focused on the rights available to EU citizens, arguing that San Marino should be able to shape the laws that it must follow by virtue of being part of the common market. Sammarinese citizens cannot work in the EU without a visa and are not eligible for benefits such as medical care in EU member states or reduced rates of tuition at universities in the EU.

Nicolas Bucci, a Sammarinese citizen working in Brussels for a public affairs company, said the rejection was partly because many of the people affected do not live in the republic. “One-third of the population lives abroad, and we were not able to vote in the referendum,” he said.

He said that those who voted ‘No’ were not necessarily rejecting the EU. “Some are Eurosceptic, but others were just voting ‘No’ to that particular way of being integrated in the EU.”

Liechtenstein, which is similar in size to San Marino, is a member of the EEA along with Iceland and Norway. However, Norway is wary of other microstates joining the EEA, for fear it could turn into a group focused on their specific interests.

Dave Keating

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simon

If they have any sense, they will reject the EU conclusively at a later stage. Ireland today: a mere 30% of children beginning school for over a decade are Irish thanks to EU migration enforcement, all democratic sovereignty overturned, & ECB orders Ireland, with threats, to underwrite the losses – tens of billions – of German, French & other banks. Scum. EU = political Cult.

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simon

If they have any sense, they will reject the EU conclusively at a later stage. Ireland today: a mere 30% of children beginning school for over a decade are Irish thanks to EU migration enforcement, all democratic sovereignty overturned, & ECB orders Ireland, with threats, to underwrite the losses – tens of billions – of German, French & other banks. Scum. EU = political Cult.

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simon

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simon

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